Display device and display controller of construction machinery

• US 20030001751A1
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ogura, Hiroshi, Fujishima, Kazuo, Watanabe, Hiroshi, Tomita, Sadahisa
• Granted Patent: US 6,766,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/691.6
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A display unit for a construction machine is provided which allow for an operator to easily set a target plane or area in works to be performed under automatic control, and to freely change the contents to be displayed regardless of whether the machine is under the automatic control, so that information which the operator wants to see can be promptly displayed.

A display 41 of a display unit 40 selectively displays a standard monitoring screen 60 for displaying attitude information of a body, an excavation setting screen 61 for displaying the setting states of depth and gradient of a target excavation plane for automatic control, and an excavation monitoring screen 62 for displaying, in enlarged scale, the relative position of a bucket relative to the target excavation plane set on the excavation setting screen. Each of those screens has a menu area 64 in which an item “SCREEN CHANGE” and items corresponding to associated screen information are set. A desired one of the items in the menu area 64 is selected by manipulating up and down selection keys 43a, 43b on an operating unit 43 to move a cursor in the menu area vertically, and the contents of the item displayed in reverse video is executed by depressing a decision key 43e. It is hence possible to easily set a target plane or area in works to be performed under automatic control, to freely change the contents to be displayed regardless of whether the machine is under the automatic control, and to promptly display information that the operator wants to see.

Claims

1. A display unit for a construction machine, said display unit being provided in a cab (6) of said construction machine including a front attachment (7), and comprising a display portion (41a) for displaying positional information of said front attachment and setting information for automatic control of said front attachment, and an operating portion (43) for instructing change of contents displayed on said display portion, thereby controlling the displayed contents in accordance with an instruction from said operating portion,

wherein said display portion (41a) is capable of selectively displaying a first screen (61) for displaying the setting state of a target plane or area in works to be performed under automatic control by using numerical values and a movable symbolic illustration, and at least one second screen (60, 62) for providing another display,

each of said first and second screens having a menu area (64) used for changing said first and second screens from one to the other in accordance with an instruction from said operating portion (43).

2. A display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said operating portion (43) includes selection keys (43a, 43b), numerical value entry keys (43c, 43d), and a decision key (43e);

said first screen (61) changes display of the setting state upon manipulation of said numerical value entry keys; and

said menu area (64) in each of said first and second screens (60, 61, 62) is used for changing said first and second screens from one to the other with manipulation of said selection keys and said decision key.

3. A display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein when the automatic control is started, each of said first and second screens (60, 61, 62) displays that said construction machine is under control.

4. A display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said second screen includes a screen (62) for displaying, in enlarged scale, the positional relationship of a fore end of said front attachment (7) relative to the target plane or area in said works by using a movable symbolic illustration.

5. A display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said menu area (64) has a plurality of items including an item of screen change;

said operating portion (43) includes first entry means (43a, 43b) for selecting a desired one of the plurality of items in said menu area, and second entry means (43e) for deciding the selection made by said first entry means; and

said display portion (41a) changes said first and second screens from one to the other when said item of screen change is selected by said first entry means and the selection of said item of screen change is decided by said second entry means.

6. A display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said menu area (64) of said first screen (61) has an item of screen change and an item of automatic control ON/OFF;

and

said display portion (41a) changes said first and second screens from one to the other regardless of the selected state of said item of automatic control ON/OFF when selection of said item of screen change is instructed from said operating portion (43).

7. A display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said menu area (64) of said first screen (61) has a plurality of items including an item of screen change and an item of automatic control ON/OFF;

said menu area (64) of said second screen (60, 62) has a plurality of items including an item of screen change;

said operating portion (43) includes first entry means (43a, 43b) for selecting a desired one of the plurality of items in said menu area, and second entry means (43e) for deciding the selection made by said first entry means; and

when one item is selected by said first entry means and the selection of the one item is decided by said second entry means, said display portion (41a) executes the selected item.

8. A display unit (40) for a construction machine, said display unit being provided in a cab (6) of said construction machine including a front attachment (7), and comprising a display portion (41a) for displaying positional information of said front attachment and setting information for automatic control of said front attachment, and an operating portion (43) for instructing change of contents displayed on said display portion, thereby controlling the displayed contents in accordance with an instruction from said operating portion,

wherein said display portion (41a) is capable of selectively displaying a first screen (61) for displaying the setting state of a target plane or area in works to be performed under automatic control by using numerical values and a movable symbolic illustration, a second screen (60) for displaying sates of a body (2, 3) of said construction machine and said front attachment (7) by using numerical values and a movable symbolic illustration, and a third screen (62) for displaying, in enlarged scale, the positional relationship of a fore end of said front attachment relative to the target plane or area in said works by using a movable symbolic illustration,

each of said first, second and third screens having a menu area (64) used for changing said first, second and third screens from one to another in accordance with an instruction from said operating portion (43).

9. A display control unit (42) for a construction machine, said display control unit being provided in a cab (6) of said construction machine including a front attachment (7) and controlling, in accordance with an instruction from an operating portion (43), contents displayed on a display portion (41a) for displaying positional information of said front attachment and setting information for automatic control of said front attachment, said display control unit comprising:

first control means (200, S100, S104, S144) for causing said display portion (41a) to selectively display a first screen (61) for displaying the setting state of a target plane or area in works to be performed under automatic control by using numerical values and a movable symbolic illustration, and at least one second screen (60, 62) for providing another display, and to display a menu area including an item of screen change in each of said first and second screens; and

second control means (200, S101, S113, S132, S141, S152, S171, S182) for processing said item of screen change in accordance with an instruction from said operating portion (43) and changing said first and second screens from one to the other.